My biggest surprise and disappointment after ordering was how uncomfortable the mattress is for me. I realize it works for others but for my taste it’s hard as a rock. I thought with this type of setup I’d get a pretty nice comfy mattress. I have a mattress topper now sitting on top of the panels. I really do not like that I’ve given up the flexibility to easily move the panels around.
The hinge failures was the the only other thing for me. My camper is in the low 420s. Luckily, I never had a failure. I basically never used the side doors. I was disappointed that there was never any room in the PITs for proactive replacements but I get it. However, I was recently able to get my hinges replaced at a shop here in Denver. The shop did a great job and was fully covered by GFC.
My camper so far has had virtually no issues, so take this with a grain of salt, but customer support has always been great for me. Prompt and courteous responses, and being able to get the hinges replaced locally was awesome.
Yah, as is typically the case, I’m back and forth. I do like the idea of being able to retire into a standing place (the truck bed) if the weather gets inclement. So… I’m still trying to figure out the right option. (I’m also looking at the TopperEZ lift which offers the same joy of the GFC… my truck can remain a truck.)
I appreciate seeing some proper frustrations folks had. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to use my Megamat Duo without losing the standing joy. Right now I’m also considering the Harder EDC which lifts the bed and makes the whole thing very standable. I just want me some cabana mode as well.
Only complaint is the locks, but they are of similar quality as the rest of the industry so that is a wash. I guess my expectations were realistic, if you don’t have ventilation you have condensation, if you are in a rain storm water will find a way in, it won’t keep you toasty on a freezing night and doesn’t provide a built-in air conditioning when it is hot. Keeps bugs out dang good. It’s a well thought out and well exicuted tent on topper, that’s all it is. The bed firmness is great for me but I’ve slept in the back of a pickup with a army surplus wool blanket. I’ve got maybe 50-60 nights in it and right now about 1/2 to 1 week from home, depends on my attitude it might take longer, I’m retired. This thread is about unexpected dislikes, I have none. Customer service has been outstanding for me. It’s definitely not for everyone but it fits me just fine. My GFC is on a Jeep truck and couldn’t imagine anything better right now. It’s not for everyone, there’s water, dust, and everything else that goes with enjoying the outdoors.
@jgates - I’ve had good luck with two 3/4 length backpacking air mattresses (The Nemo Short Mummy has been my favorite). These allow each person to tune the squish to their liking, but they also allow access to the square panels and they stow easily up front on the fixed floor when you have the floor panels removed. You don’t really notice the shortness of the pad as it still spans all the pressure spots (shoulders and hips). Might not be the solution for everyone but for folks who want to tune their mattress softness and also use the transform-a-floor, this has worked well for me.
After having my camper for just over a week, and spending just as many nights in it, I truly am happy with it.
Going in I knew things like the mattress, water/dust intrusion, and locks would all be “issues”. Personally I hate the mattress (lingering spine injury), but we planned accordingly and the MegaMat is an outstanding sub. I waterproofed the bed and bedside rails as best I could. Up top in the tent, the condensation has been… well… like sleeping in a tent. Keep the small forward windows open and things will be dry by the time you’re done cooking breakfast.
Spending 4 days in southern Utah came with its fair share of dust, but none if it was an issue inside the camper. However, one thing that has been fairly unexpected is how loud the hinges are when filled with dust/dirt/grime. Since the first dirt road, each panel hinge makes a grinding noise when opened. Unsure on future impact there, but time will tell.
Customer service, lead times, and delays aside, for what the camper is (truck topper with a RTT on top?) GFC has designed and built an extremely functional product. To those looking for more “full time luxury” I would look elsewhere Everyone seems to have a take on the wedge style truck topper/camper now. I personally like what some of the others have been doing, but for the price, utility, and ruggedness of the GFC, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option.
** edit
I will say, I did not like the $175 install fee when I went to pick up the camper. I’m local, they had a no-show and I went in earlier to help them out (obviously I was stoked to get it a couple hours early). But if I wasn’t local, and had to drive who knows how far, I’d be even more upset about it. It’s not a big deal, I understand it as the install guys are knowledgeable and do this all the time. But, if I’m making the trip and spending $8K + for a camper, I would not usually expect yet another $175…
@owennoll Can you let me know what Denver shop performed the hinge replacement? I’d like to plan ahead and have this jotted down should the time come. I’m also in Denver, just south of Glendale. Thx.
-I’m getting some water intrusion in heavy rain at the little gaps found in the lower corners where tent meets frame. not sure what the best fix for these gaps is
-it’d be awesome if there were a power-lock/unlock module for the side doors. i know it’d add complexity, but I’d love that. don’t see anything in southco catalog that’ll bolt in.
Did you ever do a solution for the roof fan? Curious if you ordered a Baroud and installed. I emailed him asking if the solution would work on the GFC roof and got gibberish in the form of a question back so unsure of that company now.
Hi Dignon! We just installed a diesel heater and we definitely think it does great things for drying things out in there, however, we still get a few icicles where the condensation drips down to the wedge. Have you ever tried adding felt pads to the roof to absorb some of the excess moisture? You seem to be the most knowledgeable person on this site! I’ve looked through threads, but figured I’d just go to the source
That’s very kind of you to say. what I do is have a tea towel and I just give it a quick wipe in the morning. If it’s frozen at the front of the wedge I don’t worry too much about it. When I get back from my adventure I find a place to pull the truck in and open it up to let it all dry if I can.
Make sure you keep the front wedge windows open a bit. I find that helps vent the moisture as well. Are you using a cheap fan? I also have that set up hanging from a clothes line in the top of the wedge.
Now that I’ve had my GFC for a full year with many nights of use, my biggest gripe is the locks. If you’ve read through this whole thread this is nothing new. They’ve been an inconvenience since day 1, but this winter they’ve been practically useless. I live in a place with high crime and this is a deal breaker for me if I knew how bad they would perform. I use them every day and sometimes it takes me 10min or more to open my rear door. I’ve even use lock lubricant/anti-freeze product to no avail. The locks need to be reliable 365 days of the year no matter the conditions. @GFC you need to do something about this, please.
I’m sure there’s several folks who would agree with you! I just spent a little over $400 plus whatever my install time will be on new latches to remedy that. Would be rad if it wasn’t an issue in the first place.
We picked up our new V2 for our Ford F150 from Bozeman last Thursday and just returned home to Arizona. We are super stoked about it but 2 things stood out as disappointments:
The locking mechanisms. They are super fiddly and feel very cheap. The entire system is rock solid, to include the crossbar mounts we got for the top. But the key entry is the weak point? Has anyone replaced these or done anything with them to make them more solid and easier to use?
The GFC decals started peeling off within the day of picking it up. Super disappointed and surprised. It looks bad, but I would also think GFC would want their brand to stick to their product. Several letters are now missing or curling up.
Someone with key tech will chimn in. I lubed all my locks the day i recieved it and have had good luck with the locks, you are right though, they seem less than.
I was pretty upset about my stickers peeling off too. However, it just means more folks are like WTF is that… I’ve learned to really enjoy talking to folks about it.
I know there are a few folks out there that have made custom stickers that say GFC.
This page/ forum is great to find folks making parts for them.
First thing I did after leaving GFC was to pull off all the stickers. I was very pleased that they were so easy to remove. I don’t have any problem with mfrs clearly identifying themselves on their products, but I hated those stickers. Would much prefer a small name plate or similar. I do really like the engraved hinge cover plate that has GFC, unit # and place of mfr. That is classy looking and is easy to see by anyone looking at the camper (obv not when going down the road though).
Keep in mind that I also immediately removed the TRD Off Road stickers from the bed when I bought my Tundra. I paid extra for the upgrades to the truck, not the sticker telling everyone about them. If it had been small 3-D lettering like comes on 4Runners, I’d have happily left it alone.
See my posts about the mattress. Replacing their foam and adding memory foam on top left me with a bed as good as my one at home. But replacing their foam is key… anything added on top of stock is sub par. Trust me… I tried em all.
Everyone seems to have a take on the wedge style truck topper/camper now. I personally like what some of the others have been doing, but for the price, utility, and ruggedness of the GFC, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option.
what I do is have a tea towel and I just give it a quick wipe in the morning. If it’s frozen at the front of the wedge I don’t worry too much about it. When I get back from my adventure I find a place to pull the truck in and open it up to let it all dry if I can.